There are a few parts of New York City that you simply do not want to find yourself hungry in, and that little stretch of 9th Avenue near the Port Authority Bus Terminal is certainly one of them. However, if you find yourself working (or living) in the high west 30′s or low west 40′s, there are a few restaurant gems to be found, and Tavola is one of them.

This Italian restaurant makes excellent fresh pasta in a “let’s pretend we’re in a market in Rome” kind of setting, and while the pizzas look good and are probably the best available in a ten block radius, they’re not the reason for a visit. Tavola does the classics best, including a straightforward lasagna that we’ll be coming back for.

Ultimately, Tavola is a situational restaurant worth having in your repertoire in an area where there’s not much to have in your repertoire. Whether you need a solid lunch spot near the office, a meal near Port Authority, or a place to pre-game before a Broadway show, keep it in your back pocket.

Food Rundown

Margarita Pizza

The pies at Tavola look great, but any experienced NYC pizza enthusiast will quickly find that there’s not much to it beyond the looks. That said, it’ll do the job in a pinch.

Brussels Sprouts & Smoked Pancetta Pizza

Our advice is to go with a pizza that has a lot of stuff on it at Tavola, and this Brussels sprouts and pancetta option is one we like a lot. We would prefer for the pancetta to have a little more smoke on it, but that’s probably

Eggplant Parm

A nicely layered mountain of fried eggplant and cheese, the eggplant parm hit all the high notes it needed to. Order it.

Lasagna

Speaking of layers, the lasagna is the best thing on the menu at Tavola. The meat sauce is fantastic, and although it’s a nice serving of food, it wont put a complete hurting on you. I ate this entire thing, went back to work, and didn’t need a nap is all I’m saying.